An El-Clasico battle is on the cards in the Premier League as former Barcelona and Real Madrid managers Luis Enrique and Zinedine Zidane have been touted as potential replacements for Graham Potter at Chelsea.
The Blues have had a torrid 2023 with the former Brighton and Hove Albion manager in the dugout. They are approaching a 15-game winless run and have scored only one goal in that time frame.
Potter’s tenure has divided opinion on the club’s new ownership as they were quick to replace UEFA Champions League-winning manager Thomas Tuchel in under three months after taking over the club officially.
Their decision to let go of the German was seen as bold and as their way of stamping their seal of ownership on the West London club. However, it looks to be a bust and the club’s rebuild is set to see them fail to make Europe and finish outside the Premier League top 10 for the first time in over two decades.
New reports now indicate that despite the owners choosing to back Potter and his attempts to rebuild, they have started planning for life after the 47-year-old.
Top of their list are former Barcelona manager Enrique and former Real Madrid manager Zidane.
Both managers are currently out of a job: Enrique, since after the 2022 FIFA World Cup which saw him lose his role as manager of the Spain national team following their quarter-final loss, and Zidane, since he took a sabbatical in 2021 after two stints as Real Madrid manager.
The latter was touted to return to management this season with Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain or the France national team. Some teams in Asia reportedly approached him as well. Zidane, however, is still enjoying his time away from football but could be pulled back in soon with the Chelsea job on the plate.
The Ballon d’Or winner has also been linked to the Brazil national team job alongside Enrique but with Carlo Ancelotti in the running for the role as well, it remains to be seen what the Samba Boys’ decision will be.
Chelsea are also reportedly considering a third rodeo with José Mourinho at the helm of affairs. Not much information is known about their interest in bringing their former legendary manager back to the club, but it could be a futile affair as the Portuguese tactician is said to be very happy in Italy with AS Roma.
